140 Years on Elm Street

The first recorded Episcopal service in Concord occurs at the burial of an infant in 1854. For nearly 30 years a small group of families meets in private homes and borrowed spaces — inviting various clergymen to lead occasional services. In 1883 the Diocese of Massachusetts determines there is enough support to establish a formal mission, engaging the Rev. Edward A. Rand of Watertown to conduct regular services.

The ladies of Trinity Mission raise funds through Concord's first church fair. Architect John H. Chapman donates his services; the cornerstone is laid on Ascension Day 1884, with Bronson Alcott watching from his carriage. Bishop Paddock consecrates the small neo-gothic chapel on January 3, 1885. Trinity becomes a full parish on May 16, 1886. By Christmas Eve 1900 the church is lit by electricity for the first time.

The Rev. Smith Owen Dexter serves 25 years as "a sweet and unworldly man" and committed social activist — demonstrating for clemency in the Sacco and Vanzetti case, joining the Lowell textile mill strikes, and hosting the controversial Fellowship of Youth for Peace over local objections. A parish house is built; Rev. Dexter also volunteers as chaplain at Fort Devens during World War I (1917–18).

The Rev. Charles Russell Peck steers the parish through the Great Depression and World War II. In 1941 Concord architect Harry B. Little extends and refurnishes the chancel; stained glass by Connick, Bonawit, and Burnham is installed. The Rev. Bradford Hastings follows in 1946, introducing a "commission" system to involve parishioners broadly in parish life. In 1948 two bays are added to the nave, increasing seating capacity.

Under the Rev. William Clark the parish outgrows every available space — annual meetings move to school auditoriums and services are doubled. A building committee hires Pietro Belluschi of MIT as architect for a new sanctuary. The old rectory on Elm Street is sold and physically moved across the Elm Street bridge to make room for construction.

The Belluschi sanctuary is dedicated on October 6, 1963, with György Kepes' Chartres glass window as its defining centerpiece and seating for 450 surrounding the altar on three sides. The Rev. Nigel Andrews appoints Eleanor Spinney as Lay Assistant Minister in 1966 — a parish first. In 1970 Trinity hosts "The Place," an ecumenical teen drop-in center. The political and liturgical upheavals of the decade test parish unity and reduce membership.

The Rev. Margaret Lee Ferry becomes the first woman priest on Trinity's staff (1979–81). The Rev. David Barney arrives in 1981 and spends 20 years healing the divisions of the previous decade through teaching and preaching. He opens Sunday School, an adult Forum, and midweek Bible Study; invites children from age eight to serve as acolytes, ushers, and readers. The parish celebrates its First Century in 1984 and establishes a Memorial Garden in 1994.

Years of dedicated effort yield a fully accessible campus in 2001 — an elevator reaching all five levels and multiple ramps inside and out. Rev. Barney retires in March 2001. The Rev. Tony Buquor (2003–2016) guides the congregation through a decade of discernment about its facilities, resulting in a new LEED-certified Parish House commissioned by Bishop Alan Gates in May 2015 with the charge to "wear it out."

After a year of interim ministry, the Rev. Nancy Hagner is instituted as Trinity's 12th rector on December 5, 2017. In March 2020, the pandemic forces buildings to close; services move outdoors to the Elm Street porch, and the congregation adapts with Zoom coffee hours, drive-by Sunday School, and at-home communion. The Vestry authorizes live-streaming, which continues today. A year-long JOY Campaign funds ongoing outreach ministries and Trinity's first full-time Youth and Family Minister.